Bottecchia Equipe

Bottecchia Equipe – Columbus Gilco MS tubing.

Despite trawling the interwebs I can’t locate this exact example in any brochures, although the Equipe does appear in other Columbus tubesets – MS is listed but was probably special order. Early 90’s with the Italic Bottecchia script, 130mm rear spacing, purchased with a real mish-mash of components. Having a box of Mavic components waiting for a frame, I thought this would be a suitable candidate.
Comes in pretty weighty at over 9kg though the ride is sublime. Geometry is tight enough to give it a proper race bike feel.
One of those frames that has many, many manhours in it – the lugs are something else – to get these to fit so perfectly with the random tube shapes is a true expression of the skill of the men who built these frames. There is only one truly round tube on the frame, that being the headtube. The rear triangles are 4 different tube shapes, really pretty but i’d imagine a huge expense in producing such a frame.

Build Spec:
• Mavic 305 headset
• Mavic 370 stem
• Mavic 350 handlebars
• Mavic 440 brake levers & calipers.
• Mavic 610 bottom bracket
• Mavic 631 crankset : 52-38 Mavic chainrings
• Mavic 862 front derailleur
• Mavic 840 rear derailleur
• Mavic 821 downtube levers
• Mavic 646 pedals
• Mavic 350 hubs 36 hole
• Wolber Profil18 rims
• Marchisio 8 speed freewheel 13:26
• Wipperman Connex 8 speed chain
• Wolber Profil20 magnesium rims
• Gipiemme 25mm 600CA Crono Sprint seatpost
• Elite Macan bottle cages
• Silva bartape
• Flite Titanium saddle
• Tufo S33 Pro tubulars 21mm

what a beauty

very nice! If it were me I'd have used a different saddle and bartape, not that there's anything wrong with the ones you've used!

absolutely stunning bike. i have the black / white one ( older one though, made from SL ) . recently saw that there also is a Multishape and also a MAX version. bike building at its best!

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Absolutely stunning frame, so many details. Beautiful craftsmanship!

My only (very slight) gripe......the bar tape takes too much of the focus away from the amazing frame & Mavic groupset. Not a criticism, just my 10p's worth

Lots to like there. I especially like the seatpost treatment, I've not seen one done like that before.

foz":2fe3gjs2 said:

very nice! If it were me I'd have used a different saddle and bartape, not that there's anything wrong with the ones you've used!

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+1

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Epic.... both frame and group are well inside my top 10 of all time

cheers folks, very kind. usual statement applies of 'it looks better in the flesh'.

I did try many saddles (rolls / turbo / volare / concor) - they all look too bulky on the skinny 25mm seatpost so it was either the flite or a vetta SL but a black saddle just didn't suit. Bartape was a risk, plain white will be next, but may as well wear the existing out first though.

Seatpost was black anodised, removed then masked off and then sprayed with that washing machine / fridge paint and then lined with humbrol red. not sure about it tbh, may revert back to plain metal.

Just need a white period diet coca cola bottle (already got red ones) and I reckon it will look lovely in the sunshine

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Ace
french tastiness on italian skills - what else !